Interview scorecard template

Solar Installation Engineer interview scorecard

Evaluate Solar Installation Engineer candidates across 4 weighted areas: hands-on competence, safety discipline, fault finding, and reliability and conduct. Hands-on competence leads at 35%, so check hands-on volume: roof types worked (slate, pantile, standing seam, ground mount), string sizing and DC cable runs, inverter and battery commissioning (SolarEdge, Fronius, GivEnergy), plus 18th. Use the rubric to compare role-specific evidence consistently.

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skilled trades technical operationsbs7671inverter commissioningmcs certificationphotovoltaics
TL;DR
For hands-on competence, look for evidence the candidate names array sizes, mounting systems and inverter brands installed, and describes commissioning tests and G98/G99 paperwork from memory. For safety discipline, look for evidence the candidate recounts a specific job halted for wind, scaffold defect or live DC risk, and cites their isolation and lock-off sequence. Apply the written 1–5 anchors to every answer, record the evidence behind each rating, and use the factor weights to reach a consistent overall assessment.
Complete evaluation framework

What to assess and how to score it

Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.

01
Evaluation factor

Hands-on competence

35% weight

Check hands-on volume: roof types worked (slate, pantile, standing seam, ground mount), string sizing and DC cable runs, inverter and battery commissioning (SolarEdge, Fronius, GivEnergy), plus 18th Edition and MCS experience.

Evidence to listen for

  • Names the equipment, materials, and tolerances they work to
  • Can describe a job start to finish without hand-waving the hard parts
  • Holds the tickets, licences, or certifications the work requires, and they are current
  • Knows what they are not qualified to touch

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Cannot describe the work concretely; lacks required tickets or licences.

2
Needs Improvement

Basic familiarity; needs supervision on routine tasks.

3
Satisfactory

Competent on standard work; slower or unsure on unfamiliar jobs.

4
Very Good

Skilled and independent across the normal range of the role.

5
Excellent

Names array sizes, mounting systems and inverter brands installed, and describes commissioning tests and G98/G99 paperwork from memory.

02
Evaluation factor

Safety discipline

30% weight

Probe working at height discipline: harness and anchor use, scaffold or tower sign-off (PASMA, IPAF), DC isolation before panel connection, arc flash awareness, and refusing unsafe roof or weather conditions.

Evidence to listen for

  • Treats procedure as protection rather than paperwork
  • Can describe a time they stopped work and why
  • Knows the specific hazards of this trade and the controls for each
  • Reports near misses instead of hiding them

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Casual about safety; describes shortcuts with pride.

2
Needs Improvement

Follows procedure when watched; cannot name the hazards that matter.

3
Satisfactory

Sound safety habits; less certain on unfamiliar hazards.

4
Very Good

Safety is instinctive; can describe stopping work over a real concern.

5
Excellent

Recounts a specific job halted for wind, scaffold defect or live DC risk, and cites their isolation and lock-off sequence.

03
Evaluation factor

Fault finding

20% weight

Test diagnostic method on underperforming arrays: string voltage and insulation resistance readings, IV curve or clamp meter checks, shading and optimiser faults, earth faults, and inverter error codes traced to root cause.

Evidence to listen for

  • Has a method for narrowing a fault rather than swapping parts
  • Reads schematics, manuals, or error codes and acts on them
  • Knows when to escalate rather than guess
  • Can describe a fault that took real work to find

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Parts-swapper; no diagnostic method.

2
Needs Improvement

Fixes symptoms; cannot explain how they found the cause.

3
Satisfactory

Solid on familiar faults; less structured on new ones.

4
Very Good

Clear systematic method with a real hard-fault story.

5
Excellent

Walks a real underperformance callout end to end, quoting meter readings and the fault found rather than guessing at symptoms.

04
Evaluation factor

Reliability and conduct

15% weight

Assess conduct on customer roofs and in loft spaces: timekeeping across scheduled installs, van stock and tool control, tidy cable management, handover packs, and DNO or MCS documentation submitted on time.

Evidence to listen for

  • Turns up, on time, prepared
  • Handles shift work, callouts, or travel as the role requires
  • Documents work so the next person can pick it up
  • Deals with customers or site staff professionally

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Unreliable attendance; unprofessional on site.

2
Needs Improvement

Inconsistent; documentation is an afterthought.

3
Satisfactory

Dependable; paperwork is adequate.

4
Very Good

Consistently reliable, documents well, professional with customers.

5
Excellent

Shows evidence of completed jobs signed off first time, clean documentation, and references from installers or homeowners.

Evidence-led prompts

Interview questions for a Solar Installation Engineer

Use these prompts to surface evidence for the weighted factors above and compare candidates against the same role-specific criteria.

  1. 01

    Describe your experience with solar installation and the system types you have worked on.

  2. 02

    What types of inverters have you worked with, and what do you prefer?

  3. 03

    How familiar are you with battery storage, and have you installed any?

  4. 04

    How do you assess whether a site is suitable for an installation?

  5. 05

    Can you give an example of optimising panel placement for a site?

See the complete Solar Installation Engineer question set
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